Cloth-evening device



(No Model.)

J. H. NORTHROP. CLOTH EVENING DEVICE.

No. 569,586. Pmzented Oct. 13, 1896-.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. NORTI-IROP, OF HOPED'ALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE NORTI-IROP LOOM COMPANY, OF SACO, MAINE.

CLOTH-EVENING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,586, dated October 13, 1896.

Application filed July 1, 1896. Serial No. 597,665. (No model.)

To it whom it vita/y concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. Nonrnnor, of Hopedale, county of EVorcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the acconipanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

In looms provided with automatic fillingsupplying mechanism, as in the well-known Northrop loom, one form of which is shown in "United States Patent No. 529,940, it often happens, when the filling is changechthat by reason of the time when the weft-fork detects the absence of the filling there will be one to three picks of filling left absent from the cloth. place, and the take-up mechanism is usually arranged to let back one or more teeth to provide for the absence of filling. If, however, the take-up is set for one pick of filling, and the cloth may lose one, two, or three picks, as stated, the take-up will not operate when the two or three picks are absent.

This invention has for its object the production of a simple cloth evening device adapted to operate when the filling is changed to first stretch the cloth in front of the reed, said device thereafter being relaxed to thus loosen the cloth, so that the absence of picks of filling will not be so marked.

The operation of the take-up is also assisted by the device to be described, as when the usual pawl is lifted there may not be enough inherent strain in the cloth to reverse, by an amount permitted. by the escapement-pawl, the roll on which the cloth is wound.

As is well known, it is customary, when weavers change the filling on ordinary looms, to press the shuttle or their hand along the face of the goods to bring a strain on the cloth between the take-up and the reed, and this inventioil-accomplishes mechanically and automatically what the weaver thus does by hand.

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a sufiicient portion of a loom to be understood, with my invention embodied therein; and Fig. 2 is a detail, in elevation and partly This would naturally make a thin I in section, of the mechanism controlled by failure of the weft and which operates the cloth-evening device.

The loom-frame A, breast-beam A the lay A the rod or rock-shaft d, the knock-off lever Z2 resting normally against or close to the shipper-lever, its free end being carried forward to be acted upon by the weft-fork mechanism, the stand 6 mounted on the breast-beam and having a suitable guideway for the reciprocating slide b, upon which is pivoted at 19 the weft-fork b, the check 0 to aid in turning the weft-fork about its pivot b after it has been tilted, and the projection c on the rear end of the weft-fork slide and against which normally acts a lever 0 pivoted at c and joined by a link 0 to an arm 0 of the rock-shaft d, are and may be all substantially as shown in United States Patent No. 529,943, wherein'like letters are employed to designate like parts.

In Fig. 2 herein the normal condition of the rock-shaft d and lever is shown when the loom is weaving regularly.

Below and at the front of the breast-beam A (see Fig. 1) I pivotally mount at f a swing- 7 5 ing normally depending board F, extending across the loom and as long as or longer than the width of the cloth G, which latter passes over the outer lower corner f of the board F on its way to the roll G and cloth roll O. A dog f is pivoted at f on the rear or inner side of the board orevener F and has near its free end an upturned lug or projectionf normally out of the path of movement of a hunter B on the lay, as shown in full lines.

The rock-shaft d has adjustably secured thereto by a set-screw 5 an arm (Z having an oiiset end 61 extended beneath the dog f and controlling the position of the latter, the curved form of the dog facilitating its easy movement by the controlling-arm (1 Now when the rock-shaft cl is turned to elevate the arm (1 into dotted-line position, Fig. 1, as it will be at each pick wherein the filling is absent, by means of the devices shown in 5 Fig. 2, it will be obvious that the dog f will be moved into position to enable the hunter B on the forward stroke of the lay to engage the projection f and move the dog forward,

thereby swinging the evener F into dottedline position, Fig. 1.

The edge f of the evener acts upon the web of clot-h in an outward and upward direction, exerting a strain thereupon between the take-up and the reed and loosening up the cloth in front of I the latter when the evener returns to normal position. As has been stated, this strain upon the cloth assists the operation of the take-up in reversing the cloth-roll, and it will be obvious that the evening device will be operated each pick that the weft-fork detects the absence of filling, so that there will be a stretching of the cloth for each pick void of filling, and consequently the thin place in the cloth will be entirely obviated or so counteracted as to be hardly noticeable. hen the 100111 is again running properly, the rock-shaft d resumes its normal position and the dog for the evening device resumes its inoperative position.

So far as I am aware, it is broadly new to provide means to automatically stretch the cloth between the reed and the take-up upon the absence of the weft for one or more picks, the operation of such means being controlled by such failure or absence of the weft or filling, and accordingly my invention is not. restricted to the precise construction and arrangement herein shown.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a loom, a normally inoperative device to act upon and stretch the cloth between the reed and take-up, means to operate said device, and controlling mechanism for said means, operative upon failure of the weft, to thereby operate the cloth-stretching device, substantially as described.

2. I11 a loom a weft-fork, a normally inoperative device to act upon and stretch the cloth between the reed and take-up, a dog carried by said device, a cooperating bunter, and means controlled by the weft-fork to move said dog into position to be engaged by the bunter upon failure of the weft, substantiall y as described.

3. In a loom a weft-fork, the lay, a bunter thereon, a pivotally-mounted device adapted to act upon and stretch the cloth between the reed and take-up, a normally inoperative dog on said device, and means controlled by the weft-fork to move said dog into position to be acted upon by the hunter when the weft fails, whereby the cloth will be stretched and slackened in front of the reed, substantially as described.

at. In a loom, a pivotally-mounted bar to act upon and stretch the cloth between the reed and take-up, a dog on said bar, a coopcrating bunter, and a dog-controlling device operative upon failure of the weft to move said dog into position to be struck by the hunter, whereby the pivoted bar will act upon and stretch the cloth, substantially as described.

5. In a looma weft-fork, the breast-beam, a swinging board pivotally mounted below it and to act upon the under side of the cloth to stretch it, and means'controlled by the weft-fork, to swing said board outwardly and upwardly against the cloth when the weft fails, substantially as described.

6. In a loom, a weft-fork, a normally inoperative device to act upon the cloth and stretch it between the reed and take-up, a dog and a cooperating bunter, to operate said device, a rock-shaft under control of the weft-fork, and means secured to said rock-shaft to move the dog into position to be struck by the bunter, substantially as described.

'7. In a loom, a norm: ally inoperative device to act upon and stretch the cloth between the reed and take-up, and means operative upon failure of the weft to move the said device to act upon and stretch the cloth in front of the reed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES H. NORTHROP.

Witnesses:

GEORGE OTIS DRAPER, B. M. AYRES. 

